They Say That Love Is Forever-
by ARavenLikeAWritingDesk
Summary: 'They Say That Love Is Forever, Your Forever Is All That I Need.' Damon and Kol met in 1864. They had a secret fling. Damon turned. Kol left. Now they've been reunited in 2012. What will occur? /Please leave a review./
1. Chapter 1

Damon took a swig of his favourite drink from The Grill; bourbon whiskey. He turned to his left and rolled his eyes at Alaric who was stood by the darts board. Damon had brought Alaric here for a 'guys night', but he'd just gone off with Jenna Sommers, the hot, ginger, Gilbert aunt. His lips curved into a smirk as he turned to face the bartender, Matt Donovan.

"Hey mini Mattie." Matt rolled his eyes and sat opposite Damon.

"What'd you want?" Damon tutted and shook his head, tapping his ring against the bar.

"Is that really any way to talk to your customers?" He shook his head and carried on, not waiting for the blonde's reply.

"I'll have another bourb-" Damon's words were cut off as the slight movement of the door caught his eye and he turned his head.

"Kol.." he whispered and his skin tingled. He finished the rest of his drink in one swig and turned on the stool. It was then that the blue eyed vampire locked eyes with the youngest male Original. Kol.

There he stood, next to the pool bar along with a group of men which Damon had never set eyes on before. Kol's dark mahogany eyes flickered from one man to the next as he took a swig of his own drink. Picking up the pool cue which had been resting on the table, he walked around before leaning over the edge of the table to take his shot.

"Damon?" Matt was still stood in the same place, watching Damon as he fixed his blue eyes onto the Original.

"I... Hm." hesitating for a moment as he still processed what he was seeing. Damon turned to Matt and gave him a dismissing nod before turning back to the bar, preventing himself from looking over where Kol stood.

He stared at the back wall as he tapped his ring against the bar, fishing through his thoughts.

The last time he had seen Kol was the night he died, the night Damon was turned.

* * *

_Mystic falls; 1864._

Damon's father charged into his bedroom, throwing him a pair of his best trousers.

"Up, up, up! We have guests and I want you looking well." Damon groaned and sat up, the covers falling from his bare chest.

"Alright, fine. I'll be down soon, father." Damon pushed himself up from his bed, pulling on his best clothes before attaching his black braces to his trousers; pulling them over his shoulders as he walked out of the room.

"Do you know who is here?" Stefan's voice rang in his ears as he gazed over at him with tired eyes.

"No, father just said to get up. He never specified on who was here." he shrugged lightly, pulling on his shoes as Stefan walked over to him.

"It must be someone important or he wouldn't have made us dress like this." Stefan looked down at his own clothes before looking over at Damon's as he stood up straight.

"Everyone who comes here is important in fathers opinion, Stefan." Damon rolled his eyes as he walked down the stairs.

Both Damon and Stefan walked into the front room to meet whoever father had invited in.

"Boys, I would like you to meet our most recent guest, Mr. Mikaelson. He shall be staying here for a while." their father's eyes went from looking at them both to the tall man who stood beside him. Damon watched the tall man as his lips curled into a grin, holding out his hand as Stefan walked towards him; taking the man's hand in his before shaking it.

"You can call me by my first name, Kol." Damon didn't move from where he was stood, his crystal blue eyes fixed on Kol's deep brown eyes as he shook Stefan's hand.

"Damon, don't be rude." hearing his fathers voice echo in his ears he blinked once as he shook his head once to break the gaze.

"Sorry father." he mumbled as he walked over to Kol, taking hold of his hand firmly then shaking it.

"Firm grip you have there, _Damon_." Kol fixed his eyes on Damon once more before turning to Giuseppe.

"And where shall I be staying?" he raised his brow as he glared at him.

"You shall be staying in the guest bedroom near Stefan's room." Giuseppe nodded once before looking over at Stefan with a stern glare.

"Show him his room Stefan." He then looked over at Damon after Stefan nodded, taking Kol's once bag before leading him to his room.

"Damon, you shall be sorting the table. We're short on staff and lunch will be be done soon. " Damon had learnt not to argue against his father as he never won.

"Okay father." He nodded once before walking away.

Damon stood in the dining room; placing a single glass by each plate.

"Does your father always make you do the slaves work?" Kol's alluring voice came from across the room as Damon put down the last glass. He looked up to see Kol stood at the doorway in his black suit, his hands buried in his pockets as he watched Damon carefully.

"We're short on staff." Damon shook his head slowly as he began to gather cutlery.

"Ah, I see." Kol lifted his head slowly before dropping it back down, he began to walk slowly towards Damon.

"Need any help?" this question surprised Damon, how could someone who seemed so high in society want to do 'slave work'? Yet he nodded in reply to the question, Kol walked over to him; taking the cutlery he had from his hands before walking past him, brushing his shoulder against Damon's.

"Thanks... May I ask you a question?" Kol looked over his shoulder at Damon as he took more cutlery then walking over to the opposite side of the table.

"Sure. " Damon nodded as he started to place the cutlery onto the table.

"Is it true that you fought in the civil war? Stefan said you were only back on break? " Damon looked over at Kol, nodding his head once then looking back at the table.

"Yeah, I came back not long ago. " Kol stood up straight, watching Damon place the last set of cutlery down on the table.

"And how long are you staying for?" Kol asked as he walked around the table towards Damon.

"I'm not sure. As long as I get." Damon began to question why Kol wanted to know so much yet he shrugged lightly instead of asking him.

The conversation was cut off quick as Giuseppe entered the room alone, his eyes fixed on Kol and Damon as they stood meters apart.

"What's happening in here?" His eyes flickered towards Damon, giving him a stern look.

"We were sorting out the table, father." Damon chewed the inside of his cheek as he glared back at his father.

"I said for _you_ to sort the table. Not you and Mr. Mikaelson." he scowled at Damon as he walked over to him, swatting him around the head.

Kol's eyes widened as he watched Giuseppe's hand make contact with the side of Damon's head, there was a sudden flash of anger his eyes as he narrowed his eyes towards Giuseppe but he suddenly turned away to hide his expression.

"Call me Kol, Giuseppe. Not 'Mr. Mikaelson'." Kol shook his head slowly as he turned back around.

"And I asked Damon if he wanted my help." he let out a cough to get rid of the annoyance in his voice.

"You shouldn't be helping with housework, Kol. Damon was told to do this job due to a shortage in staff." Giuseppe tried to keep his voice calm yet there was a hint of anger from the fact Kol had argued back.

"I didn't mind. I wanted to get to know Damon." Kol narrowed his eyes down at Giuseppe as he arched a brow.  
"Do you have a problem with that?" His voice had become more hostile with annoyance as he questioned Giuseppe.

"Not at all." Giuseppe shook his head as he avoided making eye contact with Kol. Damon had never seen his father give up in an argument.

All three men looked over at the door as they heard two sets of feet walking towards them.

Stefan soon entered the room accompanied by Katherine, a beautiful young woman with olive skin along with flowing dark chocolate hair. She flashed Damon a quick teasing smile as they walked towards them before her eyes fixed upon Kol. Her deep brown eyes meeting his as he looked her up and down, looking at every fine detail in her burgundy dress before looking over at Stefan.

"Hello, Stefan. Who is this _beautiful _woman who is beside you?" Although Kol's voice sounded convincing the way he looked at Katherine showed no interest.

"The name is Katherine Pierce." she stated before Stefan could say a word, unlinking her arm from Stefan's she walked over to Kol, holding her hand out.

"And who might you be?" she gave him the same teasing smile she gave Damon as he took her hand in his, placing a single kiss to her knuckles.

"Kol, Kol Mikaelson." Katherine's eyes widened with shock at the sound of a name she'd once heard before, sliding her hand from his she took a step back towards Stefan without another word.


	2. Chapter 2

Damon pushed his thick black curls from over his face as he walked down the path leading from the house, his father had asked him to help with the guests luggage. As he walked towards a dark mahogany carriage he heard the voice that had been new to him the day before.

"Damon!" Damon turned on the balls of his feet as he heard Kol shout his name.

"Kol?" he arched a brow as he looked over at the brown haired man, he wasn't dressed in a suit like the day before but was wearing something a lot similar to what Damon was wearing; a baggy white shirt along with plain black trousers yet Kol didn't wear the beige braces that Damon wore.

"Still doing slave work?" an amused smirk creeped it's way across Kol's face as he looked down at Damon.

Damon paused for a moment; his sky blue eyes meeting with Kol's rich brown eyes.

"Yeah, father has told me to help unpack the new guest's luggage." Damon shrugged lightly as he looked away from Kol, avoiding eye contact.

"Ah, I see. Well, Damon. Why don't you help me load my carriage?" the way Kol said his name sent a shiver down his spine as he nodded in reply.

"Great." Kol nodded towards a pile which consisted of two fishing rods, a jar full of bait and what seemed like a lunch box.

"You're going fishing?" Damon walked over to the pile, picking the two rods up; leaning them over one shoulder as he picked up the bait in his free hand.

"Yes. How about you join me?" the same cheerful smile on his face as before.

"It seems like a great day but I have jobs to do." Damon frowned slightly at the fact he'd denied the offer as he placed Kol's things into the carriage.

"Forget the jobs. I'm sure your father wouldn't mind." Kol's once cheerful smile had become more mischievous as he knew that Giuseppe wouldn't allow Damon to take the day off.

Damon shook his head as he walked over to the lunch box.

"He would. He doesn't allow days off against his will." Damon replied as he walked back over to the carriage.

"If he has a problem with you coming fishing, he can talk to me." Damon could tell that Kol wasn't going to stop asking any time soon.

"If you think you can convince him, then sure. I'll come fishing." a smile appeared on Damon's face which Kol soon matched.

"I'm sure I can."

* * *

As the carriage pulled over Damon looked out the window at the sparkling lake that looked as though it never ended.

"It's nice here." Damon jumped slightly as Kol broke the silence they had been sat in for the last few minutes of the trip.

Turning his head to look over at Kol, Damon arched a brow.

"In Mystic falls? It is, yeah." he nodded once in agreement as Kol picked up one of the fishing rods along with the lunch box.

"Yes, in Mystic falls." Kol sat in his place as he watched the driver open the carriage door before getting out.

Damon quickly picked up the other rod along with the bait before getting out, nodding at the driver thankfully.

"So, you think you'll stay?" somewhere deep inside Damon wanted a 'yes' from Kol yet he didn't understand why as he walked the the edge of the lake beside Kol.

"I'm not too sure." Kol shook his head slowly as he looked out at the lake as he continued to answer.

"There's a lot to see in this world. Do you plan to stay here forever?" He looked over at Damon for a moment before looking back at the lake.

Damon shrugged lightly as he answered without thinking.

"I'm not entirely sure."

"Not even with the whole world to explore?" Kol looked over at Damon as he stopped at the edge by a large oak tree, he sat down on the floor cross legged before placing the rod across his knees.

"I don't have enough time to see the _whole_ world though, do I?" Damon pulled a piece of bait out of the jar before handing it to Kol.

Damon looked down, grimacing at the bait as it squirmed between his fingers as Kol spoke.

"You could have all the time in the world." Kol took the jar, pulling out a piece of bait before pushing the hook through it's body.

Damon looked over at Kol with wide eyes, the only way he knew to have that much time was to become the creature his father despised, a vampire. But surely, Kol didn't know they actually existed.

"W-What?" stuttering from the thought, Damon quickly looked up from the bait at Kol.

"Nothing. I meant just use the time you have." Kol quickly shook his head before casting his line out into the water.

"Oh." Damon soon pushed the hook through his piece of bait as the air filled with silence before casting his own line into the lake.

A few moments passed before Damon could feel something tugging at the end of the line. His eyes suddenly widened as he gripped the rod tighter.

"I think I've got one!" turning to look at Kol with a proud grin on his face.

"Reel it in then." Kol looked over at him with a smile as he jammed the end of his own rod into the ground.

Damon pushed himself from the ground, the fishing rod in hand as he tried to reel in the fish.

"What're you going to do if it gets away?" Kol asked as he laughed under his breath at the thought.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll swim for it (!)" Damon let out a joking laugh as he pulled at the line, trying to bring the fish to the surface.

"I'll hold you to that." Kol stood up, dusting off his trousers as he walked over to Damon.

"What makes you think I wont catch it?" Damon arched a brow, talking too soon as the fish managed to pull hard enough to snap the line and swim away.

"That." Kol let out another laugh as he looked over at Damon.

Damon looked over at Kol, his eyes widening a little.

"Are you serious?" he arched a brow at Kol.

Kol's calm brown eyes soon met Damon's electric blue eyes as his smile disappeared for a moment.

His words twisted into Damon's mind, eyes narrowing as Kol's soothing voice commanded him. Manipulating him.

"Take off your top. I don't want it getting wet. Oh and your shoes and socks." the vampire smirked and blinked once, braking off the compulsion in an instant.

Damon took his braces from over his shoulders before unbuttoning his white shirt half way then pulling it off over his head as well as taking off his shoes and socks without a second thought as he looked over at Kol.

"I do hope you can swim, Damon." Kol smiled broadly as he spoke.

Damon didn't get a chance to answer before Kol scooped him up in his arms and throwing him into the lake.

Damon's eyes forced themselves to shut as he plunged into the water, quickly returning to the surface; gasping for air.

"Kol!" Damon shouted as he failed to pull a serious face, a cheeky and playful smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Kol stood there, watching Damon flailing in the water as he laughed.

"Be sure to catch the fish!" Kol grinned broadly as he unbuttoned his own shirt then sliding off his shoes and socks, pulling off his shirt as he ran towards the lake; throwing it to the side before jumping into the water, causing water to splash over Damon.

"Ah!" Damon let out a playful laugh as he cupped his hands together, pushing a handful of water into Kol's face.

Kol quickly darted to the side, avoiding most of the water that the blue eyed human splashed at him.

"You splashed me!" Kol shouted playfully as he swiped his brown locks from over his eyes.

"You threw me in!" Damon shouted in reply, watching Kol's movements before disappearing under the water.

Kol frantically looked around for Damon's easily recognisable jet black hair, failing to find it as he felt a hand wrap around his left ankle; pulling him under water.

Kol took a sharp intake of breath; filling his lungs with air before he became fully submerged in the cold, fresh water lake.

Kicking his legs to escape Damon's grip, their eyes locking together through the clear water, Damon wearing a devilish smirk on his face.

Both of them pushing their bodies up to the surface as they broke eye contact.

Damon gasped for air as he emerged from under the rippling water, looking around for Kol to find him already on the bank.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took so long to upload but I've been busy lately. **

**I promise the next one wont take so long.**

**(This chapter is mostly just a build up...)**

* * *

Damon slowly paced down the hallway, catching a quick glimpse of Katherine's dark curls as both her and Stefan rushed passed him hand in hand while she as though he wasn't there. They often did this, well, Katherine had this thing for wanting more love than she deserved, having one brother on each arm but as she had one, she ignored the other but Damon didn't mind this too much any more as he'd become used to it. But lately Damon had been having the feeling that there was another, one that held onto the arm Katherine didn't yet he couldn't put a name to the face he couldn't even see.

Today was the day in which Giuseppe was holding a ball, to give each new guest a delightful welcome to the Salvatore manor.

Of course, Stefan would be the one to court Katherine, leaving Damon on his own. He had the idea of accompanying one of the houses maids but his father wouldn't allow it. Giuseppe wouldn't allow his son to be with someone of such a low class, especially in the eye of others, people who were meant to respect him as a successful man. He wouldn't allow the son he never favoured to ruin it for him.

As Damon made his way down the stairs, he overheard how Katherine demanded for Stefan to be matching her dress no matter what she wears even if she decided to change dresses only a few minutes before the ball began, per usual, Stefan just agreed without an argument.

"And who shall you be accompanying to the ball Damon?" the ringing of his fathers cold voice chimed in his ears as he reached the bottom of the stairs, turning his head to face the aged face of his father, Giuseppe.

"I haven't asked anyone yet..." his voice was hesitant and quiet as he avoided all eye contact with his fathers clouding hazel eyes.

"Surprise, surprise. Why can't you be like Stefan? He had a date as soon as he heard of the ball. And I hope you don't plan on taking a maid like last time." Damon heard the warmness of his fathers voice fade into a harsh cold tone by the time he had finished what he was saying, the feeling of his fathers dark eyes drilling through his skull caused him to raise a hand, scratching his temple to try erase the feeling despite it being imaginary.

"I-I... No father, not like last time." Damon's eyes had lost their brightness as he involuntarily shut them as tight as he could. The skin on his back began to tingle where the scar tissue had slowly began to fade, a sudden gush of white pain sliced across the surface of the ageing wounds as the memory of the black whip cutting deep into his skin as his father cursed over how Damon had made a fool of him and how Damon would never be the better brother, how Damon would never be able to win the heart of a woman.

"Then you shall arrive on your own. I'm not trusting you to choose a woman of your own, not that you deserve one." Giuseppe raised a hand hitting it hard against the back of Damon's head causing him to jerk forwards.

"Yes, father." Damon quickly opened his eyes as he tried to force a grin onto his lips yet all he achieved was a weak and shaky smile, nodding his head until his father was out of his sight.

He swallowed the thick lump which had gathered in his throat, straightening his posture as he heard footsteps beat across the floor.

"Morning Damon." It was Kol but he looked different. Not in the way that his appearance had changed but in a way that Damon couldn't understand. Damon's ice azure eyes scanned across Kol's features, he notices how defined his features were, how his rich mahogany eyes reflected the light and how a smile was always pasted onto his lips when he was around Damon.

Soon realising what he was doing, he lightly shook his head before smiling over at Kol, this smile seemed a lot easier to do than the other but he didn't question it. It felt nice that he could smile at a person and not have to fake it.

"Morning Kol and..." his eyes shifted from Kol to the light haired woman who was stood to his right, her eyes were a emerald green which made the curls which flowed down her back seem more gold than blonde.

"Grace." a soft smile settled on her rose lips as she spoke in a soft tone.

"Nice to meet you Grace, I'm Damon." he held out a hand for her soon to take it, quickly pressing a soft kiss to the fair skin of her knuckles before allowing her hand to drop back down her side as she let out a quiet laugh.

"I know who you are, Kol has just said your name." Damon looked at Kol, who wore a smile on his face at Graces words.

"Ah, yeah, well... Good morning to you both. I must be going... Father has jobs for me to do." switching his eyes from lady to man, the broad smile slowly fading from his lips as he walked away, Kol's voice calling to him from behind him.

"You can't do slave work forever, Salvatore." a slight frown formed on Damon's lips at how Kol hadn't called him by his first name. Shaking that off as he didn't understand why he felt that way, soon reaching the dining room which was still being set up.

* * *

The evening ball had started and couples were swarming through the manor doors, Damon stood to the side, greeting guests seeing as his father had forbidden him taking someone to the ball and he had nothing better to do.

"Evening Damon." he could imagine the forced smile that uncovered Katherine's smile as it curled onto her lips, her cold but angelic voice rang in his ears as he turned to face her. She stood there in a classic burgundy dress, Damon could tell her corset was too tight and that if she was human, she wouldn't be stood up for much longer. Stefan stood beside her wearing a black suit and white shirt, and with no surprise he wore a dark red tie to match Katherine's dress. Damon just thought he looked stupid, but it was better to keep his opinions to himself.

"Nice to see you Katherine." he forced a smile upon his lips as he lied before nodding once at Stefan in a gesture of greeting him, Stefan nodded in return without glancing at Damon.

"So, where's your maid?" Katherine mocked as she raised a brow in question to Damon.

"Shut up..." he mumbled under his breath in reply, forgetting that Katherine could hear the quietest of whispers.

"Pardon?" she raised her brow in faux hurt to Damon's comment, but Damon wasn't in the mood for this.

"I said _shut up."_ his voice raised louder than he was meant to, causing Stefan to step forward, blocking Damon's path before he could walk away.

"Apologise." Stefan's voice was hollow and commanding.

"No, move." Damon attempted to shove past him but Stefan just pushed him back.

"I said _apologise_, Damon." Stefan's green eyes narrowed at Damon as he scowled.

"And I said _no_." the words slips from his lips before he even got the chance to think about how to reply.

Stefan may had been the youngest of them both but he always had the upper hand in situations like this, he was always able to beat Damon down, even if it was with words or force.

Stefan suddenly grabbed the collar of Damon's shirt, pushing up against the wooden panelled wall as the last of the guests entered the house. Damon gasped suddenly, taking one last breath before Stefan's fists pressed hard enough to his chest to temporarily cut off his breathing supply.

"Didn't mother ever teach you the manners you should have towards a woman, Damon?" Stefan had developed some sort of hatred towards their mother after she had died. He never did like their mother but the hatred had grown over the years.

Damon swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat as he thought of his mother, she had always favoured Damon, unlike his father who had favoured Stefan.

_The memories of her holding his hand when he was little as they walked across the manor gardens, the fresh flowers filled the air with their sweet scent, her thumb stroking across his hand as they walked across a small bridge which went over the river. He had been afraid of the river since he had accidentally fallen in while he was playing around on the riverbank_. _She stroked her thumb across the side of his hand to prevent the panic building up inside him as they slowly walked across the wooden bridge._

He could hear both sets of footsteps beat across the wood until something cold hit against his face, the stinging was sharp as he came back to reality, Stefan's face inches from his.

"Answer me, Damon." Stefan's eyes narrowed towards Damon's now pale face.

"Yes... She did." Damon managed to cough out, a single tear trickling down his cheek.

But Stefan didn't reply, only a smirk formed on his lips, the same smirk he wore last time him and Damon fought, the smirk that was pasted on his lips before he knocked Damon unconscious with one punch.

And that was exactly what Stefan planned to do, cut off Damon's breathing until he hit the floor with a sudden thud.

Katherine just stood there, watching. Then Stefan stepped over Damon's unconscious body as his lungs began to panic, to join Katherine and walk into the house like nothing had happened.


	4. Chapter 4

"_Damon, sweetheart. It's time to get up." the calm tone of his mother's voice rang in his ears as his eyes fluttered open._

"_Mmm." he didn't want to get up, he had spent all of yesterday playing out with his brother, Stefan, in the garden._

"_You wont be able to have your present, if you stay in bed all day." a small smile creeped onto Damon's tired face; his mother had always bought him small presents to add to his collection._

"_Oo, what is it?" rolling over to face his young and beautiful mother, her dark hair flowing down past her shoulders as her grey-blue eyes gazed down at her little soldier. _

"_That'll ruin the surprise." a soft smile curled onto her lips as she pushed herself up from the edge of his bed, walking across the room towards the door."It'll be downstairs, on the table."_

_Damon just lay there for a few moments before pushing the blanket down to the bottom of his bed, swinging his legs over the edge; his toes only just skimming the wooden floorboards before he hopped from his bed to hurry downstairs._

_His striped blue and white pajama bottoms fell over his small feet as he slowly creeped across the large dining room, guests of the manor were sat around the table, eating away at whatever the maids had served that day but each set of eyes was fixed on him as he zoomed into the room causing his pace to quickly slow down._

"_M-morning." a quaking smile squirmed onto his lips as his stomach dropped, he wasn't a confident kid, Stefan was much more confident. That's probably why their father liked him more than Damon. But that didn't matter, Damon had his mother and that's all that mattered to him._

_The thin pressed together lips on each unknown face turned into wonderful pearly smiles as the nervous words echoed across the room. _

"_Good morning." they all said in unison. _

_His oceanic eyes which were still blurred from sleep scanned the room until he saw his mothers face, sliding his feet across the floor as he jogged towards her to sit on a chair by her side._

_And there they were, three shimmering coins. _

_He had started collecting coins when foreign guests began to appear at the manor, people from around the world would drop their coins by accident and it just fascinated him, how they were all different, even coins from the same place which where worth the same amount were different in some way._

_One silver and two bronze, one from England, one from _C_hina and one from Italy. He could tell by each little marking, he'd seen coins like this before but he didn't tell him mother, he was too happy she got them._

"_Thank you! I love them and I love you!" quickly throwing his arms out, wrapping them around her as he snuggled into her responsive embrace._

"_I love you too, sweetheart." she pressed a gentle kiss to the top of the head before speaking again. "Wake up, Damon." pulling away from her hug, he looked at her with a quirked brow._

"_I am awake... I'm here... With you." a slight frown of confusion curved onto his lips._

"_Damon, wake up." a strict voice boomed across the table, Damon quickly turned his head to look at a man he'd never seen before glaring at him, his round spectacles reflecting every light in the room ever so slightly._

"_Wake up!" everyone on the table screamed. Was this some joke? Was everyone just playing around?_

* * *

"Damon, wake up!" Kol's voice rang in Damon's ears as he patted his hand against Damon's cheek.

"W-what, mommy?" Damon nuzzled his face into the arm of the couch, raising his hand to hold Kol's own to his face.

Kol looked down at Damon, arching a brow at his words and actions. He slowly pulled his hand out from under Damon's just to gaze down at him for a moment, his head tilting with slight confusion. The look on Damon's face was so peaceful, how the curls fell down onto the arm of the couch as the quiet snores sounded from his nose.

His oceanic hues glistening as his eyes flickered open, a small confused smile curled onto his lips as he looked around the room.  
He had no idea of how he got here and why.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." Kol's pearly smile returned to his features as he saw Damon awaken.

Damon lifted his head lightly, his chin resting on the arm of the couch as his eyes fixated on Kol who quickly averted his gaze away.

"W-what am I doing in here? I should be at the ball! Father will get mad if I'm not their to greet the guests an-and he'll..!" quickly shaking his head to prevent bad words of his fathers actions slipping off the end of his tongue as he sat up, a sudden pain surged through his neck, causing his hands to shoot up, his fingers tracing the slight swelling of where Stefan's hands had once been placed.

"Damon, calm down! I found you passed out on the porch, I'm guessing something happened. Something that didn't go very well." Kol raised a single hand, pointing to the bruises which had made an appearance.

"Yeah... I did something wrong... But it's okay now." Damon quickly nodded, hoping that Kol would just leave it. But he didn't.

"Damon, something happened. You can't just ignore bruises like that." Kol furrowed his brow in annoyance to Damon's secrecy. The memory of Damon's terribly hidden fear of his father and how strict his father was towards him ran across his mind.

"Damon, was it your father..?" Kol raised a brow ever so slightly in question to Damon as he pushed himself up from the couch.

Damon quickly looked down at Kol, who had been sat on the floor cross legged beside the couch the whole time, furrowing his brow as a frown formed on his lips.

"No, it wasn't. I said something wrong and faced the consequences." he wanted to tell Kol the truth, he really did. But deep down inside him, he knew Kol would do something. He didn't know why Kol would but sometimes he was happy he knew Kol would protect him...

Kol pushed himself up from the floor, now being taller than Damon, he glanced down at him, his rich chocolate hues meeting Damon's crystal blue eyes. Kol knew how he felt, he knew that the feelings he had for Damon were ones that Damon wouldn't return. The feelings he had weren't accepted, he'd be seen as more of an abomination than he already was.

"Well, can I at least have a look?" Kol arched a brow, ignoring the thought that ran though his head. He couldn't mess it up now, he knew Damon's emotions for him wouldn't be as strong as his for Damon, he was only human.

Damon timidly nodded before stepping forward once to stand in front of Kol, tilting his head back to allow Kol to get a better look at his neck.

Kol lowered his head, his eyes following the bruises which travelled across the smaller man's neck, how the bruises formed exactly where someone's hands hand been pressing hard against the skin. He couldn't help but listen to how Damon's heart beat faster ever so slightly as Kol's warm breath hit is skin, but being what he was, a vampire he couldn't help but think how the beating pushed the blood around Damon's body a little faster, how it would stream through his veins.

In less than a second, the dark crimson veins beneath Kol's eyes were manipulating his features, the whites of his eyes soon turning the same deep red.

He couldn't do this, he couldn't bite Damon. But he just couldn't help it...

Leaning in closer, his parted lips pressed to Damon's soft skin as Damon tensed up ever so slightly at the tingling in his neck.

"Kol..?" Damon spoke in a quiet voice, he knew of vampires but he didn't know that Kol was one but this wasn't the idea that ran through his head despite being in this situation with Katherine a number of times before.

But Damon didn't pull away or push Kol, he only involuntarily tilted his head back a little more as Kol's lower lip travelled across his skin; sending a shiver down his spine.

Damon bit down on the inside of his lower lip as Kol's parted lips pressed a little harder against the bruise on his neck.

The veins under Kol's eyes had began to fade as he pressed his lips against the soft, bruised skin of Damon's neck while he raised a hand to settle it on Damon's hip; pulling him closer.

Damon couldn't help but let out a quiet moan as Kol's lips travelled up, along the side of his neck, Damon raised his arms, draping them over Kol's broad shoulders as his eyes slowly closed.

_Why didn't he feel this with Katherine? _

Kol pulled Damon to him, their chests now pressed together as Kol's quick, soft kisses made their way along Damon's chiselled jawline but Damon didn't wait for Kol to reach his lips, instead he tilted his head back down to catch Kol's lips with his own, gently pressing them to Kol's.

_Was he drunk? Was Kol drunk? He didn't feel drunk and Kol didn't seem it._

Their lips moved together as though they were moulded for one another's, one of Damon's hands ran up the back of Kol's neck; pulling his head down close to harden the kiss, his hand entangling in Kol's dark mahogany locks.

_Damon, what are you doing? A man is for a woman and a woman is for a man. Not this._

Quickly releasing his grip on Kol's hair, his hands now on Kol's shoulders to push him as far away as he could with one shove.

"I- I... Erm, I need to go to the bathroom." Damon managed to say as he nodded his rapidly before hurrying towards the bathroom door.

Kol just stood there, watching Damon, the expression of surprise that Damon kissed back was masking the pain he felt as Damon pushed him away.

"Mmhm." slowly nodding his head as he watched Damon hurry into the bathroom.

Kol raised a hand, running his index finger along his lower lip which still tingled slightly at the memory of Damon lightly tugging at it. He couldn't believe it, he kissed back.

But something had made him push away, did he realise what he was doing? He probably thought they were both drunk...

Despite this thought, a small smile curved onto his lips as his hand dropped back down by his side.

Damon stood with his back against the door, his breathing was a little quicker than normal as he processed what he'd just done.

He kissed Kol... Without a second thought.

He shook his head once again, heading over to the sink to turn both taps on. Cupping his hands together to catch the water in them as he leant down, splashing the water over his face.

His lips felt numb, but not the kind of numb you get when you can't feel anything. The kind of numb which was some sort of tingling feeling, one that wouldn't go away.

Straightening his posture once again, looking at himself in the mirror for a few moments, the small droplets of water falling from his nose.

_What was that?_

He quickly turned his head at the site and there was, stood glaring down at Grace.

The heavenly looking girl who stood at Kol's side that morning. Her flowing white dress now had small flower blossoms of bright crimson red, the red which flowed down from her neck, two puncture wounds. Wounds he'd seen before, wounds Katherine had left on him and his brother.

A scream of shock burst past his lips as he realised who'd done this.

_Kol, Kol had done this. But why was he screaming? It was no surprise for him that there were vampires in the manor._

Turning on the balls of his feet to walk towards the door as fast as he could, pulling the door open to end up facing Kol.


	5. Chapter 5

[[I'm sorry this chapter took so long to post but here it is! I do apologise if it's a bit off]]

As Damon's eyes settled upon Kol's own he could sense that Kol didn't feel remorse or shame, he only felt disappointed about having forgotten the body which lay lifeless in the tub.

"I really should have deposed of her before you woke up..." despite having no sorrow for the girl, Kol's laugh was shaky as it fell from his lips. The lips Damon couldn't look away from.

Why wouldn't he look away? It was obvious that what Kol and him had just shared was going to become a drunken memory that they'd never speak of.

_Kol had probably kissed her before he killed her... What if I was next? _Damon shook his head at the thought, causing a wave of weak confusion to wash over Kol's features.

"I... She... She's dead, Kol. That girl..." Damon managed to gather a few words into a sentence, hoping to make sense. Why did he struggle though? He'd seen Katherine slaughter people in cold blood.

"I'm fully aware of that, Damon. _I _killed her." the vampire's features didn't look so loving any more, the defiance of his face looked more noticeable and dark.

"Yeah..." dropping his gaze from Kol, Damon slipped past him and slowly made his way across the room and towards the door. As Damon did so, Kol extended an arm in order to pull the bathroom door shut prior to him turning to face his mortal friend.

"Leaving so soon?" didn't Kol get it? Damon didn't _want_ to see a girl who looked so alive that morning bathing in her own blood.

Damon stopped just before the door, his brow furrowing with thought. He needed to leave but at the same time, he didn't want to. He didn't understand what exactly was going through his head, it was the alcohol... It must have been, maybe the lack of oxygen to the head.

He had to do it though.

He couldn't hold back, even if Kol turned out to be a heartless monster.

To him, it just made him lust for Kol even more than before.

He caught his lower lip between his teeth, his breathing becoming a little more labored as he prepared himself. Maybe he was going to regret this, maybe this was going to be the worst idea he'd ever had.

But right now, he didn't care.

Taking in a deep breath prior to spinning on the balls of his feet, making his way towards the original; his fingers gripped Kol's shoulders to push him hard against the wall, causing an almost inaudible grunt to escape his lips before Damon pressed his parted brims to Kol's own in a quick, suave movement.

As soon the human's lips collided with Kol's own, his eyes fell shut and his head dipped down in order to seal their kiss as his hands quickly made their way towards Damon's hips. Damon felt Kol's hands tightly grip his waist to instantly pull him forwards which caused their waists to roughly collide. Damon released his grip on Kol's biceps to drape his arms over Kol's shoulders; one hand making it's way up into his so-called friend's mahogany locks to give it a harsh tug. As Damon did so, a low growl rumbled in the back of Kol's throat when he switched their position in a second, completely forgetting that Damon couldn't withstand such an aggressive force.

Damon's back slammed against the wall and he tried his hardest to hold back a whimper of pain as the wall behind him cracked, but his thoughts trailed off as he felt the tip of Kol's tongue quickly glide across his lower lip.

Their lips now moved perfectly insync and their tongues battled for dominance as Damon pushed himself away from the wall and led both him and Kol towards the sofa. Kol's hands made their way to Damon's chest; gripping the collar of the shirt before pulling it open, the buttons falling to the ground one by one before the shirt landed just behind Damon's feet.

Kol fell back down against the plush couch as the back of his legs hit against it's edge and pulled Damon down onto his lap. Damon involuntarily tilted his head back as Kol's lips left his and began to make their way across his chiseled jaw line and down his neck in heated, open mouthed kisses while his hands grazed over Damon's defined torso. Damon cupped Kol's face in the palms of his hands, making the vampire look up at him so he could look into those hypnotizing eyes once before leaning down to kiss him; this time with passion. A quiet moan sounds against Kol's lips as it slips from Damon's own from the feeling of Kol grinding his hips up against him.

* * *

A quiet groan sounds at the back of Damon's throat as the light which peeked through the gap between the curtains caused him to awake. Slowly rolling onto his back as an arm lifted so he could rest his forearm over his sleepy eyes, his back arching as he began to stretch as he did every morning. There was something different about this bed... It was larger... Comfier and the blankets which covered his body didn't belong to him. The arm which shaded his face flew out to the side, his hand soon slapping against the bare chest of another.

"What..?" the man's voice grumbled as he pulled the quilt up over his head, rolling over to bury is face into the crook of Damon's neck.

And then it hit him.

What he'd done.

Suddenly he pushed away from the man he now realised was Kol, falling over the edge of the bed to end up sitting on the floor, completely naked.

"Kol!" a harsh whisper left Damon's lips as his eyes scanned across the room in search for his clothes, he soon spotted his underwear at the foot of the bed before racing over to them and slipping his feet into them and pulling them on properly.

"I said what?" Kol mumbled once again. God, how Damon could listen to that morning voice forever.

"Why..? What..?" Damon simply shook his head, he knew what had happened... He remembered it perfectly. A groan sounded beneath the quilt before Kol sat up, the quilt falling from over his chest as he looked over at the other man; his eyes squinting from the sun light.

"Morning to you too." Kol's hands lifted in loose fists to rub his eyes before settling his gaze upon Damon once again.

"This isn't funny..." all of Damon's confidence from last night was gone... He was scared. What if Stefan found out? Or Katherine? Or his father at worse. His brow furrowed and a frown pulled onto his lips, he didn't want to regret what he did, in fact he didn't but the thoughts of if people found out caused him to leave Kol's room and pick up every piece of his clothing on the way out up until he found his shirt beside the sofa.

Kol's head tilted as he watched Damon leave the room, he couldn't stop him. Damon was drunk last night, he wasn't like he usually was, he did what he wanted but now he was back to his normal self; shy and unable to talk in a full sentence around the majority of people.

A fist drummed against the front door of where Kol was staying, soon to be followed by a females voice.

"Maid service." Damon suddenly straightened up, hugging his clothes to his chest as he stood there in complete shock; looking for somewhere to hide.

The knocking on the door caused Kol to leave his bed, quickly pulling on a clean pair of underwear along with a shirt and a pair of black trousers before hurrying into the front room.

"The bathroom. Go in there." the sight of Damon with a look of horror on his face somewhat amused Kol but he knew he had to protect him.

"Wha- Okay." Damon didn't want to argue, he'd forgotten about the body and he just wanted to hide.

"Come in." Kol's voice echoed across the room and a maid entered while Damon stood in the bathroom pulling on his clothes.

He soon noticed the body and wrinkled his nose in distaste. He was stuck in here, with a body.


	6. Chapter 6

A dainty hand took hold of the room's door before slowly opening it to see a single man stood in the middle of the room, his eyes scanning her up and down before a welcoming smile formed on his features.  
"Morning." Kol spoke out, tucking the bottom of his creased shirt into his trousers.  
"Good morning..." the maid replied while making for the bathroom door.  
"No. Not in there." Kol hurried across the room in order to stand in front of the large door. "I need to use the toilet." his head bobbed into a quick nod as his hand moved behind him in order to grip the door handle, opening the door a little before slipping into the room. "Just clean out there." he said, poking his head out of the bathroom door before disappearing.

Damon had already pulled on both his underwear and trousers, now slipping his arms into the sleeves of his shirt while trying to avoid looking at the body. Why had he done what he did last night? He'd slept with Kol and wasn't only the memory that told him that, it was the subtle shock he got when he tried to sit on the edge of the bath, so instead, he stayed standing.  
Just as Damon had calmed down over the fact there was a body less than a meter from him and had stopped jumping at the sight of it, Kol had opened the door and slipped into the room; startling the human.  
"Is sh-" he began before being interrupted by Kol's index finger pressing against his lips. Kol simply shook his head before his eyes wandered down Damon's still exposed torso.  
Shaking his head momentarily, Kol turned and took a cup from the sink; turning on the faucet in order to fill the cup, thereafter, turning it off.  
Damon didn't take his eyes off Kol or stop feeling as though Kol's digit was still silencing him. Better yet, imagining that instead of a finger, it was a kiss.  
Kol turned once again, facing Damon while extending an arm past the Salvatore; hovering the cup above the toilet. Before making any attempt of fooling the maid into thinking he was using the toilet, the vampire laced his free arm around Damon's waist, pulling him into a kiss which was usually given after awakening.  
He panicked, Damon panicked. He kept his eyes open; watching his partner's own flutter closed but he soon realised how comforting Kol's embrace was, so he allowed his eyes to ease shut and a hand to caress Kol's cheek during the time the brunette slowly poured the water into the toilet.  
Their lips moved and melted together but their tongues had no battle, it was a soft kind of kiss which reassured Damon.  
But once the water was gone, so were Kol's lips; he'd pulled away.  
Kol placed the cup back on the sink before flushing the toilet for effect. He then turned to glare at the girl in the bath, wrinkling his nose in distaste to the body's odour.  
"Sir, are you done in there? The rest of the room is done." the females voice came through the door.  
"... Um. No, just leave this room." Kol called back while removing his top, soon taking hold of the cup and refilling it. "I need to freshen up." he continued while tipping the cups content over his head and exposed chest.  
Damon just stood there, staring. He was terrified.  
The vampire paced over to the door, opening it ajar to peep out of the door wearing a dazzling smile.  
"I need to clean the bathroom, it's my job." she provoked.  
"I'll do it. Don't worry." his figure disappeared before the door closed and the maid gave up and left.

When Damon heard the door close, he quickly buttoned up his shirt and slipped in both his socks and shoes just for Kol to grip his collar and pull him close.  
"You better go to your own room, Damon." he suggested before crashing his lips to Damon's own. Damon didn't want to go, Kol made it all okay. If he left he'd feel bad for what he did.  
All too soon, Kol had pulled away and pulled his shirt back on before scooping the girls body into his arms.  
"I... I... Okay." Damon's head dropped and he wandered out of the room then out of the apartment.

He'd sinned. He'd grown up with a Catholic father who wouldn't let the smallest mistakes slip. Well, only the mistakes Damon made, Stefan was a saint in his father's eyes. Their mom was the one who saw Damon different, as though he was her own personal angel. But now, she was his.

Damon's breath began to hitch and his eyes started to sting. He'd gotten drunk and had sex with a stranger, a man. And that was a sin. No wonder his dad beat him so much, he was a walking disaster and he deserved it. He deserved it now but there was no way he was going to tell his dad what he'd done. He'd have to find another reason.  
"Damon! Where have you been!?" his father's voice boomed, causing tears to suddenly pour down his cheeks.  
"A whore house." he lied between sobs.  
"A what!?" but despite his dad's demanding question, he failed to answer him and made his way downstairs. His hair was a mess and his clothes were even worse, he knew that. But he needed to do this, he needed to push his dad over the edge so he could be punished for his sins.

When Damon reached the bottom of the stairs, he lazily took hold of someone's bags.  
"Which room?" he questioned the man who owned them. The man turned on his heels to face the disorganised man and his nose wrinkled.  
"Eight." he answered in an appauled tone.  
"Damon, don't you dare take those bags!" his father demanded, not wanting Damon to embarrass the family name. But Damon did so anyway, he'd made it half way up the stairs before purposely dropping the suitcase; just watching the contents fall out as it travelled down the steps.  
Damon silently sobbed to himself the whole time and continued to when he walked away, Giuseppe's hand soon gripping his arm hard enough for it to bruise instantly.  
"My office. Right now." he instructed in a growl. But there was no reason for telling his son where to go because he dragged him to the said location.  
"Stop crying, you have no reason to cry." his dad stated, forgetting to add the word 'yet' on the end.  
"I do, I sinned. I went to a cat house and had sex with a whore..." he repeated his lie.  
As Giuseppe's free hand raised to strike Damon across the back of his head, they walked past Stefan who knew Damon was lying; he could tell by his tone of voice.  
But he just stood there as Damon looked over at him with tear glazed optics. But Damon didn't hate him for it, he knew why Stefan was like he was.

When Stefan was born, Giuseppe swore to himself and his God that this child wouldn't be a failure like his first born: Damon. The reason Stefan stood so quiet around Giuseppe was so he didn't argue, he learnt not to at the state of Damon's body.  
Damon didn't care that Stefan used him as a punchingbag when he wanted because he knew that if he didn't, he'd ruin their dad's love for him and Damon didn't want Stefan to suffer like him.  
But sometimes Damon pushed Stefan into beating him up for his own reason.

Once the office door was open, Damon was thrown harshly onto the floor; already hurt with the carpet burn running across the side of his hands and little fingers. A kick in the ribs was delivered to his chest right after.  
"You're a disgrace to this family, boy!" his father's voice shouted while he pulled Damon to his feet by his collar.  
"Even your mother would be ashamed!" Giuseppe's face was red with anger as he hit a nerve, Damon's tears now violently flooded down his cheeks.  
"No... Mommy wouldn't... She loves me..." Damon whimpered before a clenched fist pounded against his cheekbone; the skin splitting for blood to follow and his eye socket almost instantly swelled up.  
"Why would she love such an unholy soul!? The one who killed her!" despite his mother dying from an illness, it was blamed on Damon. He was always told that 'God took mommy because you sinned one too many times.' as a child.  
"She does... Stop lying..!" Damon pleaded but his dad didn't answer, he just moved to take a meter long ruler from his desk.  
His son just collapsed to the floor, cowering with his back to Giuseppe. With his fingers tightly wrapped around the ruler, he turned it into a weapon by whipping it across Damon's back with a wicked crack. Damon let out a blood curdling scream of agony which even Stefan heard down the corridor.

"Get it off now!" Giuseppe ordered and Damon instantly tugged at his shirt to remove it; sending buttons astray. As soon had the bundle of fabric hit the floor, Giuseppe made his second demand. "Kneel up, boy! With your back to me!" Damon did as he was told just to receive a skin slicing whip across his shoulders, which caused him to whimper and cry out. But per usual, his father felt no remorse and continued the beating.

With very deep cutting whip came a screaming cry for help.  
The blood had painted his whole back and all the strikes he received hit open wounds.  
Soon Damon was unable to keep himself up so he just collapsed to the floor in a sobbing heap.

Finally Giuseppe stopped.  
"Put your shirt on and get some sleep." he spoke quietly; this was the closest to caring he'd be towards Damon. Then he placed the ruler back on the desk and left.  
Damon lay there for a while, until he was sure he couldn't cry anymore, then he pushed himself to his feet and took hold of his shirt before walking into the corridor.  
"Stop crying, you have no reason to cry." his dad stated, forgetting to add the word 'yet' on the end.  
"I do, I sinned. I went to a cat house and had sex with a whore..." he repeated his lie.  
As Giuseppe's free hand raised to strike Damon across the back of his head, they walked past Stefan who knew Damon was lying; he could tell by his tone of voice.  
But he just stood there as Damon looked over at him with tear glazed optics. But Damon didn't hate him for it, he knew why Stefan was like he was.

When Stefan was born, Giuseppe swore to himself and his God that this child wouldn't be a failure like his first born: Damon. The reason Stefan stood so quiet around Giuseppe was so he didn't argue, he learnt not to at the state of Damon's body.  
Damon didn't care that Stefan used him as a punchingbag when he wanted because he knew that if he didn't, he'd ruin their dad's love for him and Damon didn't want Stefan to suffer like him.  
But sometimes Damon pushed Stefan into beating him up for his own reason.

Once the office door was open, Damon was thrown harshly onto the floor; already hurt with the carpet burn running across the side of his hands and little fingers. A kick in the ribs was delivered to his chest right after.  
"You're a disgrace to this family, boy!" his father's voice shouted while he pulled Damon to his feet by his collar.  
"Even your mother would be ashamed!" Giuseppe's face was red with anger as he hit a nerve, Damon's tears now violently flooded down his cheeks.  
"No... Mommy wouldn't... She loves me..." Damon whimpered before a clenched fist pounded against his cheekbone; the skin splitting for blood to follow and his eye socket almost instantly swelled up.  
"Why would she love such an unholy soul!? The one who killed her!" despite his mother dying from an illness, it was blamed on Damon. He was always told that 'God took mommy because you sinned one too many times.' as a child.  
"She does... Stop lying..!" Damon pleaded but his dad didn't answer, he just moved to take a meter long ruler from his desk.  
His son just collapsed to the floor, cowering with his back to Giuseppe. With his fingers tightly wrapped around the ruler, he turned it into a weapon by whipping it across Damon's back with a wicked crack. Damon let out a blood curdling scream of agony which even Stefan heard down the corridor.

"Get it off now!" Giuseppe ordered and Damon instantly tugged at his shirt to remove it; sending buttons astray. As soon had the bundle of fabric hit the floor, Giuseppe made his second demand. "Kneel up, boy! With your back to me!" Damon did as he was told just to receive a skin slicing whip across his shoulders, which caused him to whimper and cry out. But per usual, his father felt no remorse and continued the beating.

With very deep cutting whip came a screaming cry for help.  
The blood had painted his whole back and all the strikes he received hit open wounds.  
Soon Damon was unable to keep himself up so he just collapsed to the floor in a sobbing heap.

Finally Giuseppe stopped.  
"Put your shirt on and get some sleep." he spoke quietly; this was the closest to caring he'd be towards Damon. Then he placed the ruler back on the desk and left.  
Damon lay there for a while, until he was sure he couldn't cry anymore, then he pushed himself to his feet and took hold of his shirt before walking into the corridor.  
He didn't bother put his shirt on, it would only become stained. So instead, Damon just made his way down the corridor, ignoring the staring guests.

After a while, Damon's bloodshot and swollen eyes noticed a trail of roses which led down the hallway. He leaned down; hissing with pain, and picked a single red rose up. Then the tears he swore he had no more of began to pour once again, all he could think about now was his mother.  
He played around with the rose as he continued to walk, ignoring how the thorns sliced into his fingers.  
"Stefan?" he sobbed, he needed his brother right now. Turning down the corridor that led to Stefan's room, his voice raised to a shout. "Stefan!" he yelled in a shaky voice.

"What?" Stefan's voice came from behind him. When Stefan approached Damon, his stomach dropped and he tried his hardest not to throw up at the sight of his brothers back.  
"Roses... There's roses everywhere..." Damon turned on the balls of his feet as he spoke as though he was a child once again.  
"Damon... You should sleep..." Stefan spoke softly when he noticed the daisy in Damon's hand and the wild flowers that covered the floor.  
"She's been here... Mommy has been here... She... She's left roses again." he whimpered out in an innocent tone.  
"Damon... Mother is gone. You know that." but Damon shook his head in refusal at Stefan's words.  
"No, no. She must have been here, who else would have left roses? These are her roses, Steffie!" he dropped to the floor, his legs crossed before him while he gathered some roses.  
"Damon, stop it! There are no roses!" tears now stung at Stefan's eyes at the sight of his delusional brother. Stefan believed that Damon had knocked over the vases that were placed around the boarding house in anger. None of these vases contained roses, they hadn't since their mother passed away.  
"They are here! Why can't you see them!?" Damon held up the variety of wild flowers for Stefan to see. But little did he know, the roses he saw weren't roses at all.  
"They aren't roses Damon... None of them are roses... Why can't you see that?" Stefan's lower lip quivered as he tried not to cry. He could have saved Damon from this but he'd been too scared.  
Damon pushed himself from the floor and made his way towards his brother, wiping the blood from his swollen cheek with his forearm.  
"Sleep won't last long enough... I need you to punch me, to knock me out. So I can ask mommy why she left me these roses." Damon's bloody hands gripped hold of Stefan's collar as he pleaded.

This was the reason he let Stefan beat him, he got to see his mother everytime he lost conciousness.

Stefan shook his head in refusal as he held back the tears. He knew how much Damon missed their mom. No one missed her as much as Damon, not even their dad.  
"Stefan... Please... If you don't... I'll... I'll go get dad's gun... And I'll shoot myself, I really will." he threatened. "I'll be with her forever and I won't have to come back."  
"Stop talking like that! Just stop it!" Stefan demanded. He knew that Damon was serious, he'd tried shooting himself last month.  
"I will, you know I will! I'll point it right here-" he put two fingers to his temple. "-and I'll pull that trigger!"  
Stefan pushed him away with frustration and growled. He knew Damon would take it that far, he'd do anything to see their mom. So he did it, he swung a fist hard enough to the side of Damon's head that it knocked him straight to the floor.  
"I'm sorry, Damon... I'll look after you from now on... I'm sorry... I promise..." Stefan scooped his older brother up into his arms, weeping even more than he already was when he saw Damon's blood seep through his shirt. But he ignored it and carried Damon into his room, sitting him down on the bed and placing a towel under where Damon's back then lay.

* * *

_A set of small feet raced across grass towards a woman who dressed in a flowing blue dress, she didn't see why she had to dress up in a corset all the time. _  
_"Mommy!" the child's voice rang in her ears, causing her to pivot on her heels and scoop her son up onto her arms. _  
_"What're you doing out here, Damon?" she questioned in a sweet done, sitting him on her hip. _  
_"I..." his brow furrowed with thought. "To see you." he beamed over at her until he noticed the basket of picked roses. "Why aren't they in the ground..?" _  
_"They don't need to be. Not anymore." her head shook lightly, sending her brunette waves astray. "It's time to decorate the house with them, will you help?"_  
_Damon nodded his head and squirmed from her hold, making his way over to the baskets. His mother soon joined him, crouching down to grip hold of one of the basket handles before straightening her posture. Damon soon mirrored his mother's actions, he even crouched when taking hold of the handle even though it was unnecessary. They both walked back up to the house, Damon with the basket held high to stop himself tripping._

_As they enter the house, both Damon and his mom glanced around in search of Giuseppe, he wouldn't approve of this at all. Once they were certain Giuseppe wasn't around, they both walked across the room; his mother taking a handful of roses and slowly began dropping them down onto the floor. Damon stood in one place as though he was scared of his father appearing but in actual fact, he admired how his mother danced around the house whilst the roses fell to the floor. _  
_Eventually, he began to race across the room; quite clumsily and in no way gracefully like his mother. With each step he took, a rose fell to the ground and visitors eyes fixated upon the small boy who danced down each corridor._  
_Damon jumped up each step until he came to the second floor, a trail of roses behind him before he continued running across the patterned floor._

_When the door of his father's office was almost in sight, Damon began slowing down, his eyes opening wide as he got closer. He'd stopped picking the roses out of the basket, letting them slowly drop to the floor when one side weighed more than the other. Slowly making his way down the corridor, Damon quietly took a rose from the basket in order to place it in the vase beside him. In the short moment his head was turned, the office door opened and Giuseppe stepped out; anger instantly washing over him as he saw the 'mess' his son had made. _  
_"Damon!" his voice boomed, causing Damon's head to snap towards him, fear glazing his eyes. _  
_"Mommy!" he screamed in panic, dropping the basket before racing down the corridor and down the stairs. _  
_The guests no longer watched the peaceful child dropping flowers, they now witnessed a child screaming for his mother whilst his father raced after him._  
_"Mommy!" his voice shook with fear as tears stung at his eyes. This wasn't fun anymore, he was scared. He was scared of Giuseppe and the hands that beat him, he didn't want that, he wanted the arms which protected him. _  
_"Damon! Get here, right now!" the masculine voice behind him commanded but Damon didn't turn, he just began screaming at the top of his voice as he ran. _  
_Stefan had just wondered into the building after playing ball with his friends, childish laughter bursting past his lips as his screaming brother ran past. _  
_But then he realised why Damon was doing such a thing when he saw their dad running after him. _  
_"Daddy!" Stefan bellowed in hope to keep their dad from capturing his brother. It worked momentarily when Giuseppe turned and stopped in his tracks. _  
_"What is it, Stefan?" he said breathlessly. _  
_"I... I, er..." he hadn't thought things through._  
_A sigh parted Giuseppe's lips when he realised what Stefan had done, he'd let Damon get away._

_Moment later, both Damon and his mother appeared; Damon sat in her hip with his face hurried into the crook of his neck while he sobbed._  
_"Giuseppe! You're scared him to death, again." even her shout was calm, Giuseppe looked flabbergasted. _  
_"He's made a mess of the house and made a fool out of me." Giuseppe's tone was one that a child possessed when having a strop, he rarely shouted at her._  
_"You just be mistake, my love. Damon and _I_ were decorating: giving this dull house some color." her voice was once again peaceful, just below talking volume. "We all know who made a fool of you, even Steffie. And he missed the opening event." her smile was soft as she opened her hand, causing Stefan to race towards her prior to his small fingers coiling around a single finger of her own. _  
_Giuseppe never answered that question, he just stood there with a scowl upon his features._  
_"Don't you think you should get back to work, darling?" his wife added before he did so. _  
_Damon wrapped his arms further around his mother as she pressed a delicate kiss to his temple and delivered a gentle squeeze to Stefan's hand._


End file.
